When Dark Horse announced their digital comics initiative back at NYCC, they went about it in a different way from most other publishers. Instead of partnering with an existing storefront like comiXology, they decided to use their own webstore and application to sell comics — and at the $1.49 price point. There was also talk of add-ons that made going to the physical comics shop a part of the experience.

Since then details have been sketchy, but today Dark Horse released the first information on the program, via a mailing to retailers in the Diamond Daily. A bit of the information was also released to the press, including the plan to release ORIGINAL digital material — but only to those who purchase brick and mortar comics.

An essential component of Dark Horse’s e-publishing plan is to drive readers into the stores, not just to their iPads. Not only will Dark Horse prominently feature links to local comic shops in our digital app, but we’ll also be offering digital content to retailers as a promotional tool for your shop. Today, exclusively via the Diamond Daily, Dark Horse is pleased to tease the first concrete detail of that program: we are aggressively investing in the creation of digital, original, 8 page stories that will tie directly to the on-going story lines of our biggest properties and most exciting launches. This content will only be made available to consumers who visit bricks and mortar retailers.

Also, via the DH Blog, more information including a list of titles that will be available, below. In addition to individual titles, Dark Horse will be “bundling” complete runs for digital GNs — an option which many publishers have yet to adopt.

Here are the basics: Launching in January 2011, download the Dark Horse Bookshelf app from the Apple app store for your iPhone or iPad or go to digital.darkhorse.com to read comics from your laptop or home computer. New titles and reprinted material will be appearing on a weekly basis, and in February expect to see select issues of your favorite comics appearing online the same time they’re released in stores! It’s that easy!

Here’s the full list of titles we’ll be launching with in January:

Baltimore: The Plague Ships Issue #1 through #5
Bundle of all five issues

Beasts of Burden Issue #1 through #4
Bundle of all four issues

BPRD: Hollow Earth Issue #1 through #3
Bundle of all three issues

BPRD: Plague of Frogs Issues #1 through #5
Bundle of all five issues

BPRD: The Dead Issue #1 through #5
Bundle of all five issues

BPRD: Dark Waters One-Shot

BPRD: Night Train One-Shot

BPRD: Soul of Venice One-Shot

BPRD: Something Under the Bed One-Shot

BPRD: Dark Waters, Night Train, Soul of Venice and Something Under the Bed Bundle of all four issues

Heidi MacDonald is the founder and editor in chief of The Beat. In the past, she worked for Disney, DC Comics, Fox and Publishers Weekly. She can be heard regularly on the More To Come Podcast. She likes coffee, cats and noble struggle.

It will be interesting to see how distribution of these 8 page stories will work out. Will there be a code in the comic to access it? And if so, what’s to stop that from just being passed around online?

I know it’s not a popular view, but I don’t want to go into shops. I want to read comics on computers and I don’t want anyone trying to lure me back. I have too damn many comics as it is and they are bogging me down.

And why would they silo themselves into their own site?

Marvel doesn’t sell it’s books in its own stores. They are publishers. Not retailers. this is an old story. It won’t work well. It’s like when Marvel tried to do its own distribution. It’s a non-starter.